Future of Transport: Commission stages
conference in Brussels to discuss scenarios for the next 40
years

Policy makers and top managers of the most
important transport operators, manufacturers and logistic companies will gather
in Brussels on 9-10 March at a conference convened by Vice President Tajani to
discuss the future challenges for the transport sector and kick off the
preparation of the 2010 White Paper on the Future of Transport
Policy.

"Transport is in a crucial transition period. We need to look beyond the
current crisis and understand that innovation and technological development,
globalisation, sustainability, and the saturation of infrastructures call for a
profound transformation in the way the transport system operates. We have to
rethink our concept of mobility and for this reason I would like to engage all
main actors into a common reflection with the ultimate goal to prepare in 2010
the next White Paper on the future of transport policy," said Vice-President
Antonio Tajani, responsible for transport.

Alongside stakeholders, and policy-makers, academics and representatives of
Member States, European Institutions and NGOs have been invited to the
conference to contribute their vision. There will be four workshops focussing on
urban, freight and passenger transport and on the challenges of sustainable
mobility, chaired by former Commission Vice-President and Transport Commissioner
Karel Van Miert, former DG TREN Director General Robert Coleman, and the head of
Vice-President Tajani's cabinet, Antonio Preto. Speakers include some of the
most important European CEOs of transport companies such as Mr. Spinetta (Air
France), Mr. Moretti (Ferrovie dello Stato), Mr. Grimaldi (Grimaldi Group), Mr.
Lacny (JMJ-TRANS) and mayors of various European cities, including Mr. Demszky,
Major of Budapest that recently won the European Mobility Week.

The discussions are meant to help the Commission draft a Communication on the
Future on Transport, to be adopted in June 2009, preparing the ground for the
2010 White Paper, which will include a set of ambitious policy measures to
tackle the long term challenges of transport policy.